Lifting jack



April 21, 1925 A. REEVES LIFTING J ACK Filed Aug. 9,

2 Shets-Sheet 1 A. REEVES LIFTING JACK April 21, 1925;

Fil A 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet z Patented Apr. 21', 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED REEVES, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR 0E ONE-HALF T0 GEORGEHERBERT GUMING BUTLER,

LIFTING JACK.

Application filed August 9, 1922. Serial No. 580,713.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED REEVES, a'subject of the Kingdom of GreatBritain, residing at Atlantic Works, Grange Road, Small 1 Heath,Birmingham, in the county of Waring jacks of the type involving a lazytongs construction and which are particularly sultable for raising motorcars and like vehicles.

and has for its object to provide a jack of simple construction andefficient action and Y which is cheap to manufacture.

According to the present invention a double toggle lever "or lazy tongsconstruction is mounted upon a suitable base and is adapted to beextended or contracted by a rod having left and right hand screw threadsengaging respectively opposite pivot points of the said double togglelever or lazy tongs construction. The invention furthercomprehends'improved handle operating means for lifting jackshereinafter described and claimed.

In order that this inventionmay be clearly understood and readilycarried-into practice, reference may be had to the appended explanatorysheet of drawings, upon which Figure 1 is a front elevation and Figure 2is an edge elevation of a lifting jack construction according to thepresent invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of an operating handleconstructed according to the present invention in. the col lapsedcondition. I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the same handle in theextended condition and Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation of the handleillustrating parts in longitudinal section. ,1

In an embodiment of the present invention the double toggle leverconstruction is mounted upon a suitable base plate 1 and virtuallyconstitutes a lazy tongs construction which is adapted to be opened orextended for the lifting operation. Two pairs 2 and 3 of lower togglelevers have their lowest extremities suitably pivoted to the base plate1 a short distance apart, and these pairs of dual toggle l'e-verscrossone another a short distance apart. -or channel members may OFBIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

HEISSUED at a point not far removed from the base and extend obliquelyupwardly when the device is extended. Conveniently the pair of levers 2are mounted between the opposite pair of levers 3 and said inner levers2 have an arcshaped slot 4 adapted to accommodate a transverse pin 5uniting the adjacent toggle levers, the arrangement being such that thepin operates in the slot in the extending or collapsing operation of thejack. The corresponding levers may be-strengthened by further transverseunitin pins 6 and 7. The lower extremities of t e levers 2 and 3 areconveniently pivoted to the limbs of .U

or channel shaped members 8 which are suitably secured to a sheet metalor'other base 1 These U-shaped be permanently connected to the base bypassing the limbs through slots in the base and accommodating theconnecting part beneath the said base which is of a shallow troughformation for this purpose. Alternatively the U or channel shaped stripsmay be riveted, bolted or otherwise secured to the base. The upperextremities of the lower toggle lovers 2 and 3 are pivotally connectedto two pairs of upper toggle levers 9' and 10 which cross one anotherand are intermediately pivoted at 11 being diagonally disposed when thejack is 55 ,in the extended position. These upper toggle levers eachinvolve two corresponding links 9 and 10 pivoted to the upper extremityof the lower toggle levers 2 and 3 and blocks or hearing pieces 12 arepivotally mounted at the junction of the upper and lower toggle leversystem, and a rod 13 is adapted to pass through such blocks or bearingpieces hav ing left and right-hand screw threads 14 and 15 which engagecorresponding internal screw threads in the said blocks 12 or bearingpieces. The extremity of this rod is provided with a universal joint 16and a square socket member 17 for receiving the extremity of anoperating rod with a handle such as that hereinafter described; Theupper toggle levers 9, 10. as aforestated are crossed and pivotallyunited at a short distance from their upper extremities and may suitablybe braced by cross'pins 18, and said upper toggle levers at'theirextreme upperends carry two pairs of short upper links 19, 20 which arepivoted to the said upper toggle levers and at their other extremitiespivoted to a small transverse shaft 21. A horizontal platform 22involving a U-shaped member is also pivotally mounted upon this shaftand one limb 23 of this U-shaped member is extended verticallydownwardly and is longitudinally slotted and adapted to engage the axispin ll which unites the upper toggle levers 9. 10 not far removed fromtheir upper extrcn'lities. The platform may have a small plate or disc24 pivoted or revolubly mounted centrally thereon to accommodate itselfto the part of the vehicle it is adapted to engage in the liftingprocess.

In operation upon the rotation of the rod 13 having the left andright-hand screw threads the pivot points between the. upper and lowertoggle lever systems are moved further away from one another or closerto one another to collapse or extend the jack, and on account of thedownwardly extending limb 23 of the platform slidingly engaging thepivot aforementioned of the upper toggle levers, the said platform isalways retained in a vertical position. Further the horizontal operatingrod 13 of the apparatus always remains in a horizontal position in theoperation of the jack, and the arrangement is such that when the jack iscompletely collapsed same occupies a very,

little space, the upper and lower toggle levers lying in substantialadjacency, with the horizontal rod, the slotted limb part of theplatform being accommodated between the now side by side upper and lowertoggle levers. The slot and pin mechanism of 4 and 5 the lower togglelinks is adapted to positively limit the extension and contraction ofthe jack.

A suitable handle for operating the jacks is comprised of two lengths ofrod 25 and 26 of square section which are pivotally united so that theymay be brought into alignment or pivoted into adjacency with one anotheras shown in Figures 3' and 4 respectively. To this end the rod 26 isprovided at its extremity with a hollow tube or housing 27 of squaresection and this housing which is open at its projecting extremity isprovided with two laterally projecting lugs or ears 28. An L orequivalently shaped slot 29 is provided upon each side of the housing27, one limb of each slot extends. along the projecting lug or ear 29and the other limb alongthe housing or hollow tube 27 The adjacentextremity of the other rod part 26 is introduced into the housing 27 andis provided with two oppositely projecting lugs or trunnions 30 adaptedto operate in the L-shaped slots 29. A spring blade 31 isattachedexternally to the housing and is provided with a small stud passingthrou h an aperture in the housing and adapted to co-operate with arecess in the rod, carrying the projections or trunnions as shown in.theFigure 5. The hinge operates as follows When it is desired to havethe parts 25 and 26 of the rod in rigid alignment for operation of thejack (Figures 4 and 5) that part -parts 25 and 26 into adjacency, therod part carrying the projections or trunnions 30 is slidfrom out thehousing and the projections caused to move in the slots 29 into theprojecting lugs carried by the said housin and in this position the twored parts, whic are conveniently of. a similar length can be broughtinto adjacency. Two handle parts 32 and 33 are pivoted to the rod 26carryin the housing at the opposite extremity of suc rod. Each handlepart is preferably stamped up to a substantially U section and itsextremity is slotted between the limbs of the U formation and said limbsare passed one on each side of the rod 26 and are pivotally connectedthereto by a rivet or pin 34 pass; ing through the four limbs andthrough the. rod. The rod at its extreme end is provided with a smallprojecting central tongue 35, this is adapted to bear against theslotted parts of each handle to limit their opening movement when theyare extended to a T- construction. When the handle is collapsed, the twoparts 32 and 33 are brought into adjacency, and on account of theirhollow or substantially U-section theycompletely enclose the extremitiesof the rods 23 and, 26 as shown in the Figure 3. From the aforegoingdescription, it will be seen that an operating rod is provided which isof a collapsible character. and the handle part is adapted to fold tohold the parts of the rod in the collapsed condition. the whole aparatus occupying a very little space, and being readilystored in a toolbox or like container in a vehicle. Instead of employing a squaresection rod. circular. oval or other section rod or bar may be employedbeing suitably adapted at its extremity for engaging the usual squaresocket in the lifting jack. The part 32 of the U-section handle may bepartially closed at its extremitv as shown at 86 and the opposite partor limb which is adapt ed to embrace the major part of the two rodswhen-folded may be left open for this purnose. The extremity of the rod25 may have four or other suitable number of recesses 87 adapted tocooperate with a spring controlled stud device carried by the squaresocket38 on the jack; What I claim as my invention and desire tolsecuil'efply Lettirs 1;)atentlis:- I g n a i 'ngjac ,a asee ement,azyto having links pivotally mounted at tlfi lower ends on said baseelement, a. arias of links, a horizontal operating rod having op-'positely threaded portions engaging the pivot portions of the majorlinks, a platform on the upper portion of-the lazy tongs havingdownwardly extending arms pivotally connected thereto, one of said armshaving avertical slot and the lazy tongs having a 10 connecting pivotpin which operates in said slot, and a bearing plate rotatably mountedon -the platform and having a vertical pivot axls.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 15 hand.

ALFRED REEVES.

